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Flesh-Eating Screwworm Fly Detected in Texas for the First Time Since 1966, Threatening US Cattle Supply

The US Department of Agriculture confirmed on June 3, 2026 that a New World screwworm fly -- a parasite whose larvae burrow into and feed on the living flesh of warm-blooded animals -- had been detected in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County, South Texas. The case is the first confirmed detection in the continental United States since the parasite was eradicated in 1966. The USDA established a 12-mile quarantine zone, deployed sterile-fly releases, and restricted the movement of livestock, with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins calling it the top agricultural biosecurity threat facing the country.